


A Light in the Dark

by ashethehedgehog



Series: The Prince and King [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy, Kinda, M/M, One-Shot, Oneshot, Part 2, Part Two, Prequel, Prison, Series, Shadow magic, Shadows - Freeform, the prince and king
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 09:25:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19059826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashethehedgehog/pseuds/ashethehedgehog
Summary: He finds himself with a new cellmate one day, and writes them off just like the others; food for the shadows. What he doesn't realise is just how much this man will change his life.“My name’s Yugi, by the way,” the man said. “I know you don’t want to say yours, but I wanted to tell you mine. I’m apparently going to be here for a while, so,” Yugi shrugged. “Might as well get comfy I guess.”Prequel toThe Prince and King





	A Light in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> WE BACK FAM!!!! This time an actual second part to one of my fics (GASP I know lmao). This is a prequel to my fic [The Prince and King](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7454473/chapters/16939594). if you haven't read that and want to, then I suggest holding off reading this little one-shot until then. There are HUGE spoilers in here!
> 
> A HUGE shout out to [I_Like_Stuff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_like_stuff/pseuds/I_like_stuff) who gave me the final nudge to actually revisit this 'verse!  
> And to all of YOU, for the absolute fantastic support Prince and King has gotten over its lifespan. I'm still blown away when someone tells me the enjoyed the fic! It really means a lot, and I hope this little extension is enjoyable too!

The shadows were dark, the room clammy. He could smell the mould through fake nostrils, touch the damp stone through fake hands. For some reason, the shadows weren’t fond of eating stone. Either that, or orders from their king had them refusing Atem’s constant orders to do so.

Or at least, what had been his orders. He had stopped caring years ago. For whatever reason, he was stuck there, whether he liked it or not.

None of it mattered. Or at least, that is what he had thought.

He picked up the sound of murmured voices. They grew louder, approaching his location. There wasn’t anything of value beyond Atem’s cell; it was a bit of a dead end, all things considered.

He would ignore it, but something in the shadows stirred, drawing his attention. _A meal?_ He asked, but all he received in response was a gentle hiss.

Two guards appeared by the door, swinging open the cage entrance. Between them was a short, stubby looking person, dressed in the prison rags, a stormy look on his face. The stranger was pushed inside, making loud complaining noises.

“Hey! No need to be so pushy!” the man grunted. He turned around, throwing an obscene gesture up at the guards.

He was tiny, incredibly small for someone who seemed fully grown. It was much like Atem had been, back when he had been human. At least he thought he was. He wasn’t sure if he retained his height when the shadows recreated his image. He had no bases to check facts on.

The guards slammed the door shut, barely sparing Atem a glance. He returned the favour, turning away as they disappeared. With the excitement dying down, Atem realised that he was now trapped in his cell with a new stranger. One who was looking at Atem with equal regard.

“Oh… hello,” the man smiled awkwardly at Atem. Atem just blinked at him, staring right back.

“Not the talkative type then? That’s all right. As long as you’re not in here for something, uh, you know. Shit, I guess.”

Atem titled his head ever so slightly. He gave no indication he would speak, and he planned to keep that image for as long as he could. _This one looks weak, he probably won’t be around for long,_ Atem thought. He reached his mind out to the edge of the shadows, who twitched back in response. They snapped at him, hissing softly. _You have a new meal here, don’t get angry at me,_ Atem narrowed his eyes, glaring down at the floor. The shadows retreated, and he had the distinct impression they still were displeased with him. _Then again, when are they not displeased with me?_ Atem inwardly sighed.

By the time he returned his attention back to his surroundings, the man had moved to the cot opposite Atem’s, laying down with his back turned to Atem. There was no way he would have fallen asleep so fast, but given Atem’s refusal to give a reply, he must have grown bored, and sleep was the only thing they could do, trapped in the tiny cell.

He would be safe for the night; Atem wouldn’t let the shadows eat him. The man hadn’t said or done anything to annoy Atem yet, and until he had a good enough excuse to feed him to the darkness, Atem would wait.

He was a patient man; what was left of him that was human.

* * *

Somehow, time seemed to pass without any further interaction from them. The man didn’t initiate another one-sided conversation for what felt like days. Atem hardly had any way to indicate time, and quite often only used evidence from the guards that provided details about life above ground on passing. Otherwise, there wasn’t much point to Atem knowing of time passing, except to count the years since his life had ended.

He tried to distract himself, pulling his thoughts back to let the shadows swirl around him. It was the closest thing to mediating that he could manage. The darkness seemed to let him do it, mostly. They powered down, reserving their energy while they weren’t consuming other things to keep it up.

Although recently, he felt a certain excitement brimming under the surface of his fake skin. It was strange, something he had never felt from the shadows before. But it didn’t seem to be… wrong, at all. He was worried, but let it fade into the back of his mind for the moment. If the shadows had something they wanted him to know about, they would nip at him until he understood.

Until then, he could try to relax, and distance himself from everything.

But of course, the world was cruel and cared not for Atem’s thoughts.

“Hey,” the man finally broke the silence, and Atem was snapped back into reality in an instant. He glared at the man, who was looking back at him with curious, wide eyes.

“So I know you probably don’t like to talk- or, can you not talk, maybe?” the man’s face fell, and he looked shocked. “Oh fuck, I didn’t even- I’m sorry… I won’t bring it up again.”

 _Why is he so concerned over me?_ Atem frowned. The man had no reason to be so distressed. _He doesn’t… seem like the others. Perhaps I could just reassure him, for the moment._

He wet his mouth, fake spit tossing over fake muscle. “I don’t enjoy talking,” Atem said. It was the first time he had heard his own voice in what felt like months. When had been the last time he had spoken aloud? He couldn’t remember. It could have been a few days, or a few years. He had given up speaking to the filth they threw in with him, so he couldn’t be sure.

“Oh…” the man looked relieved. “That’s okay. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Atem nodded.

“I’ll just talk to myself, if that’s okay. I like talking.”

Oh no. He had been asking for that, he supposed. _Maybe another voice will help drown out the shadow’s talk, though,_ Atem thought. _And if it doesn’t, they can always eat him later._

“My name’s Yugi, by the way,” the man said. “I know you don’t want to say yours, but I wanted to tell you mine. I’m apparently going to be here for a while, so,” Yugi shrugged. “Might as well get comfy I guess.”

 _Probably a murderer, then,_ Atem guessed. The man- Yugi- didn’t _seem_ like the type to kill in cold blood, but then, he was in a jail cell, and the guards knew what happened when someone was thrown into the cell with Atem. Yugi had to have done something awful to prompt them to send him to his death from the shadows tearing him apart.

As if sensing Atem’s thoughts of them, the shadows chirped, eagerly bundling around Atem’s form. They stretched across the floor, snaking around Yugi’s shade cast by the torchlight.

 _Not yet,_ Atem snapped at them. His inner voice crackled with the accent of the shadow’s language, second nature for him to speak since he was practically a walking one. The shadows surrounded his soul, caressing over his pulsing light, transferred all of his thoughts into something the shadows could understand.

The wall shimmered, and eyes formed in the swirling depths. They narrowed at Atem, but relented, slipping away from Yugi.

Who hadn’t seemed to have noticed the danger he had been in at all. He was still happily chatting away to himself, although aloud, as if he wanted Atem’s feedback, or at least ears to listen to him.

He was detailing a list of all the things he disliked about their accommodations in an awkward, and yet chirpy manner. The little quips and jokes he made even made Atem’s lips twitched upwards, but he made sure it was hidden from Yugi, by a well-placed hand or a subtle rub over his nose timed well.

They continued on like that until Yugi grew tired, nodding off to sleep softly on his cot. Atem watched his breathing even out, the light from the crackling torch casting a warm glow over his face.

Atem raised a hand into the air, closer to the light source. No warmth flowed through his hand, and he felt the shadows tug at his command, edging the limb away from the heat back down to the cold cot.

 _I wonder what that feels like… would I be able to feel the sun, if I ever returned to the surface?_ Atem pondered. He considered asking Yugi some questions about the outside kingdoms, but ultimately, he decided it wouldn’t matter. He had no need to return top side, where would he go? He was as good as dead anyway, nothing more than a wisp of his former self.

Nothing more than a shadow.

* * *

Just who was this man? The more he lingered at the corner of Atem’s vision, the more confused Atem felt.

He seemed… genuine? In his approach to life? Atem couldn’t be sure, he couldn’t remember how to do half the things Yugi did. He watched carefully, subtly, from his cot. Never moving, and never revealing anything. Yugi tried to strike up conversation more times than Atem cared to remember, and each time he would leave Atem alone when Atem remained silent.

But Yugi was more perceptive than Atem had given him credit for, and his prying managed to unhinge something in Atem’s defence one day.

“Have you ever met a pirate before?” Yugi asked.

“I do not want to talk,” Atem sighed. Even as he did, he knew he was lying, and Yugi clearly did as well.

“Then just listen, and I’ll tell you a story,” Yugi hummed. Atem side eyed him from his cot, watching Yugi lean back against the wall, staring at the ceiling as if it was an open book, ready to read.

“I met pirates once. I stowed away on their ship; they were travelling out to plunder the coastline of the archipelago out east, past Ranparr. I had a particular interest in hitting up those islands, looking for some plants to stock up my resources.

“Needless to say, I was eventually caught skulking around their ship in the storage bay, and the captain was less than pleased. This guy was fierce, strong, and pretty darn angry. He had his sword out, and a gleam in his eye. I wasn’t too keen to see those things, of course, heh. So I-”

“What-” Atem caught himself, but from the way Yugi’s eyes lit up at him, he hadn’t been fast enough. _Shit…_

“Yes?” Yugi prompted him.

 _Fine, I’ll bite._ “What did they look like?”

“Look like? Why do you want to know that?”

“It’s… I haven’t seen many people in… it’s just, something I want to know,” Atem felt himself growing frustrated at his lack of words. He never suspected he would need to talk this much, and he had let his words escape him.

“Sure, all right,” Yugi nodded. “Now picture this; a dusted old sea farers uniform, a cracked leather hat, and a wicked cool scar right down the face. Hair black and crunched up under the hat with all the salt stuck in it. Does that help?”

“Yes, it does. Thank you…”

“You’re welcome,” Yugi beamed a smile at him, to which Atem looked away quickly. “So, right, he was very mad at me, and I had very little in the way of physical strength to stand up to the guy. So instead, I used my brains of course.”

Yugi used his finger to draw something in the air, adding in _wooshing_ sounds with a whistle, as if to add to the mood. “I ducked around the guy’s blade and drew a sigil on the ground for a summoning.”

“Summoning? You know demons?” _Does he know dragons too?_ Atem forced himself to remain calm, despite the way his skin bristled at the mention. The shadows stirred around him, equally eager to know more.

“Yeah, demon summoning. I have a pact with a few.”

“That’s…” _Fascinating_. “No easy feat, to bond in such a way.” _How can he have such a bond?_

“Yeah, I guess I just have a way with it maybe?” Yugi gave a sheepish grin. “So anyway, I summon my friend and he’s like BOOM, rides out on his really cool purple horse. And then the captain is thinking twice about it, and-”

Atem nodded along, finding himself growing more invested in Yugi’s stories. Yugi continued well into what Atem felt was the next day, chatting until he fell asleep, curled up on his cot with a peaceful expression on his face.

One thing Atem knew for sure that night; there was far more to Yugi than he had first realised.

* * *

The dragon king came to him the next night.

Atem hardly had a need to sleep with his amalgamation body, although he did enjoy pretending to do it and allowing the shadows to knock out his awareness long enough to replicate the sensation. But when the king wanted to speak with him, Atem’s senses were thrown away from the location of his soul, and into a ghost-like state on another plain of existence.

Atem had no idea what it was, only that when he was there, it felt like nothing in their kingdoms. It was pure darkness, and a deepness to the landscape he couldn’t quite explain. It was a realm for monsters and beasts, not for men. _Or shadow men,_ he corrected himself.

“Young prince.” The king rumbled. He stomped into existence in front of Atem, towering over Atem’s tiny form.

He lowered his thick neck, breathing deeply and loudly over him.

“King Gandora…” Atem whispered, keeping his tone hush. He adverted his eyes, gluing his gaze down to the ground. He could feel the warm breath of the dragon over his hair, rustling the locks as if they were actually there. A reminder of the power Gandora held over him.

“I sense the blood of my connected near your soul,” Gandora said. “Has the grandchild arrived?”

 _Yugi? He’s… the chosen?_ Suddenly a lot of things made sense. _Ah, that’s why the shadows act as they do around him, why they never showed the violence they normally do with others. I’m an idiot, I should have realised sooner…_

“A new prisoner has been thrown into my cell. His name is Yugi. I don’t know if he’s the one you want, but he’s the only person I’ve seen recently.”

“Of course he’s the one, can’t you sense it?” Gandora sneered. “Your senses have dulled horrifically in your brooding, prince.”

 _I’m hardly a prince anymore,_ Atem felt his shoulders sag. Earning the scorn from the Dragon King like this… he bowed his head, refusing to let tears leak through his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“No matter. There are more important matters at claw here. He cannot hear me, and thus I cannot bestow my power onto him. Bring him to the place my power is strongest. The ancient dragon city. There he can receive my power, and finally hear my voice.”

“As you wish, your majesty,” Atem ducked his head.

“Do not tell the young king of his powers, or of me. He is not ready for such knowledge.”

Gandora’s tail thrashed behind him, all of the gems lining his limbs glowing with an ominous light. Atem kept his gaze trained to the ground.

“I do not have time to entertain you further. This will be the last you hear from me, should all go well. I shall await the young Mutou to reignite our connection, and tap into my power.”

“I will do as you command, your majesty.”

“Do not fail this, Atem,” Gandora grunted. “It is your most important mission.”

Atem nodded.

Wind rushed in his ears, and suddenly darkness wrapped around him, taking away his senses. He was thrown back into his body of shadows, wrapped snugly around his soul. He had barely noticed, but he was panting in uneven gasps, a hand clutched to his chest, as if to reach out for his soul.

Luckily Yugi was asleep on the other side of the cell, oblivious to Atem’s actions.

He settled down, tucking his knees up to his chest and burying his face in it. There were no tears for him to cry; the shadows didn’t care to give him that illusion, but he found his throat choking up regardless.  

* * *

Atem brooded for weeks. After his encounter with the King of Darkness, he fell into a dark spiral. It didn’t help that the shadows barely noticed his condition; they were far too focused on watching Yugi every second he was there. Like little dogs wagging tails as their master came home.

Despite how much Yugi had been growing on him, he felt like he had been thrown back to square one thanks to the dragon king. How could he consider Yugi the same now that he knew the truth? He was practically a king, and Atem… was nothing. He was surprised Gandora even wanted him to _talk_ to Yugi. He should be knelt on the ground in front of him, carrying out orders.

When Gandora’s power began to flow through Yugi, and he had control of it, he would become an incredible force. More so than Atem could hope for, with his pitiful shadow powers.

Yugi didn’t seem to understand just what was at his disposal. He just sat there, oblivious to the shadows that would quiver under his touch. Every time he accidentally brushed the wall, or rested on it, casting darkness behind him, Atem felt the shadows grow restless. They fed off Yugi’s high energy, and Atem was sure Yugi didn’t even notice why he would grow tired easily some days.

He was too busy focusing on spending time talking with Atem. Why, Atem had no idea…

Their cell door creaked open as a guard pushed just inside, enough to drop a plate of food on the ground. They then hurried out, slamming the iron gate shut and stomping away quickly.

Yugi stood up to fetch his meal, humming quietly to himself. He ate softly, and Atem continued to brood silently to himself, until-

“Why do the guards never bring you food?” Yugi asked. Atem looked up, blinking.

“I don’t… need it,” he replied.

“Everyone needs food,” Yugi frowned. “They can’t condemn you here without giving you food. It’s a right.”

“I have special needs for my food. I don’t eat as… frequently as most people.”

“Hmm. Sure… I’ll leave you some anyway. No one should have to starve like that. It’s yours if you want it, I don’t need to eat it all anyway.” Yugi placed the tray down between their beds, half full of food. He then turned back to his cot, curling up facing the wall.

Atem stared at the offered food with a confused scowl. What was he doing? Atem didn’t deserve this. He clearly didn’t eat, and if Yugi hadn’t worked out something was wrong about him, then there was no point in telling him so now.

 _Or maybe I should let the shadows eat something,_ he thought, tapping his knee. _It might calm them down, until the right time to move comes to us._

With Yugi facing away, he let the shadows creep forward. They snapped up the plate, licking it clean. They would have eaten the metal of the plate as well, but Atem was worried Yugi would notice it disappearing, and if the shadows made a sound while devouring it, that it would alert him to something wrong.

He pulled the shadows back, and they slunk back under his cot, climbing up the walls and receding back into the form of his body. They rumbled happily, like tiny dragons, curling around him and nipping playfully. Atem could swear they were almost singing with how joyous they felt.

It was strange, but not unwelcome.

* * *

Ever since Atem had accepted Yugi’s food, Yugi had been leaving him portions of his meals out. He seemed to think Atem was too embarrassed to eat in front of him, so he would push the plate towards Atem and then roll over on his cot, facing the wall.

Atem didn’t mind, as he had to let the shadows devour it, and he couldn’t risk Yugi seeing them. Not until he felt it was the right time to reveal them.

A door creaked open beyond their cell entrance. Heavy footfalls stalked towards them, and a guard appeared in their line of sight. They were holding a new tray of food, here to replace the empty one.

The guard glanced at Atem wearily, a frown plastered on their face. As if to say ‘why is this human still in here’? Atem narrowed his eyes in response, and the guard quickly took their leave.

“Hey,” Yugi said. Atem turned to him.

“They’re just doing their job, no need to glare at them so much. Right?” Yugi smiled. “Though they can be kinda shitty sometimes, I agree. But they’re not all bad, and clearly they’re already scared of you. They brought us food anyway, so at least we’re been fed.”

 _You_ were _my food. They know better than to bring me human food,_ Atem thought, wisely keeping it to himself.

“Hmm,” Atem turned away.

“We can’t help how things go along, so why make them worse, right?” Yugi grinned. “Might as well have fun where we can!”

_Fun? How can he be so carefree? We’re in jail, it’s not like a party…_

Yugi was watching him, clearly waiting for some kind of response. Atem tilted his head, hoping to get across his feelings without words, but it seemed Yugi was oblivious.

“I will consider your words, yu- King,” Atem finally replied. There was something that didn’t feel right, with him calling Yugi by his name so casually. He deserved a title that suited him more.

Yugi looked confused, but he let the title slider. “That’s all I can ask. It’s your choice to make,” he smiled.

 _My… choice?_ Atem frowned. _Is it..?_

It didn’t feel like he had a choice. He couldn’t agree so easily with Yugi’s optimism, but perhaps that was for the best. He didn’t have the confidence to be so upbeat like Yugi was. He had lost that… many years ago.

He had to admit, though… it was somewhat contagious at times.

* * *

Most days, time seemed to pass irrelevant to anything else. Atem sat on his cot, keeping the shadows contained while they waited for the right moment.

Yugi, however, seemed to spontaneously change his mind on what to do on a whim. It was fascinating to watch, and both Atem and the shadows were enraptured by Yugi’s performances.

Today he was on the ground, busy messing with something. From the side view Atem had of the scenario, it seemed like Yugi had been gathering soot from the cracks of the bricks. He had it stacked up in a small pile, working it gently with his hands.

Atem watched him, staring down at the strange mess Yugi was making of the floor and his hands.

“What are you doing?” he finally asked.

“Trying to make a page to draw on,” Yugi muttered. “If I can write on something solid, I can try to summon.”

 _A summoning?_ Atem blinked. _So he really does have bonds with demons. Incredible… The dragon king mentioned nothing about Yugi’s talent pool. I suppose I don’t really know much about what he does._

“Is that wise? Brining a demon in here?” he asked instead.

“It can’t hurt to try, can it?” Yugi grinned. “Besides, they’re my friends. They’d just want to help.”

Help… Atem frowned. _Demons are only allowed passage to our realm through packs, something that benefits them. It’s the reason Gandora can stretch his claws to us… to me, when I…_

Atem squeezed his eyes shut, shivering.

“Hey… are you all right?”

“Yes, I just… felt a sudden chill.” It was a weak answer and they both knew it, but Yugi seemed to accept it.

He smiled, offering Atem a glimpse of a ray of sunlight he could only dream about for eight years. “Okay. I’m here if you ever wanna talk, you know?”

 _We cannot,_ Atem silently mourned. He wanted nothing more than to agree with Yugi, to sit by his side and just… talk. Be _human_ again.

But he couldn’t. Too much was at stake, and he was merely a pawn in the grand scheme of things.

And Yugi was a King.

“I understand… thank you, King,” he dipped his head. Yugi nodded, turning back to his experiment.

The soot shifted under Yugi’s touch, quivering in a way soot shouldn’t. Atem leaned forward, his interest growing. The shadows mimicked his movements, climbing the wall behind Yugi and leaning over, several tendrils poking out like small heads, watching.

Yugi murmured something under his breath, purple eyes staring intensely down at the soot pile. It froze, and for a moment Atem thought he saw something change-

And then the pile slumped down, remaining still, nothing more than a mess on the bricked floor.

“Ah, shoot, didn’t work,” Yugi huffed. He leaned back on the floor, sighing.

“Did you expect it to?”

“Mmm not sure. But, it’s worth the time, I’d say. There’s not much else to do, right?”

“Perhaps. But if it causes more trouble than good, perhaps it is best to avoid, King.”

Yugi glanced up at Atem, a contemplative look on his face. “Why do you call me that?”

Atem froze up hands clenching up in front of him. _I can’t tell him why… How would he even understand it?_ _I can’t tell him about Gandora… he’s not ready. The Dragon King would crush my soul if I even thought about it._

“It is a title worthy of you,” Atem answered.

“Really?” Yugi pursed his lips, humming in thought. “I can’t really say I agree… I’m not like, royalty or anything.”

“Perhaps you will see it as I do, in time,” Atem replied, wary of revealing too much information.

“Maybe,” Yugi laughed. “Or maybe not. You’re a bit mysterious. But if I get a nickname, you have to have one too, Prince.”

“Prince?” Atem blinked. There’s no way- did Yugi know!? How could he, was he ever in Shanos to see Atem? But Atem had never left the palace, and then his uncle-

He paused, taking a deep breath. That was in the past. He had to focus on the now, his mission, his job, his purpose in the shadows. “Why… that?”

“Well, I thought you wouldn’t appreciate ‘Queen’ as a title,” Yugi chuckled. “And if I’m King- although I’m really _not_ , then the next best thing is Prince, right? Although if you ask me, it should be reversed. Why don’t _you_ call me Prince instead? You look much more like a King to me.”

“I… I could not. It is below you.”

“You barely know me,” Yugi pointed out. “What makes you think the name suits?”

“It does,” Atem smiled. He could practically see the halo of gold around Yugi’s head, a silhouette even the shadows couldn’t taint.

He could feel no such glory for himself. His time as such… had passed.

“You just have to believe me there, King.”

Yugi rolled his eyes, a playful grin on his face. “I feel like you’re too clever for me to be arguing this. Ah well. If it makes you feel better, I’ll take the title.”

“I can’t apologise for speaking the truth,” Atem dipped his head. Unconsciously, he found his fingers pressing against his smooth forehead, the gesture a phantom of his days of royalty.

The movement felt right to do, but he didn’t realise what had happened until he gazed back up, seeing Yugi’s shocked face.

“I…” his face flushed. “I see. Uh, well… do as you please… Prince.”

Atem quickly lowered his hands, burying his face between his legs. He ignored the curious sounds from Yugi, remaining in his position well after Yugi had lost interest and gone to bed.

 _Stupid,_ he scolded himself. _He doesn’t need you to go causing trouble. He has enough to deal with. So stupid… we never learn…_

The shadows snorted, as if to agree with him. It surprised Atem little that they would; they took Yugi’s preference over his, and he couldn’t blame them for that. They were both simply there for Yugi, and nothing else mattered.

Nothing else.

* * *

Yugi had been trying his summons for what felt like weeks now. Atem watched him from his cot with interest. Each try had resulted in a fail, but Yugi never lost his urge to continue. His passion seemed to be never ending.

Atem could admire that dedication. He wondered how Yugi would react, if he knew what Atem knew. Would he be angry? Upset? Worried?

Would he even care?

 _Perhaps he would,_ Atem reasoned. He seems to care about most things, even if they don’t affect him personally. He had a kind heart, too kind to be locked away in a prison like he was. Whatever had caused him to be thrown in here, Atem would never understand. A kind soul like that… even with all the power of the darkness locked inside him secretly… he shone brighter than any light Atem could remember.

But that was something Atem liked about Yugi; his kindness despite his situation.

Every time Yugi tried his alchemy, the shadows swirled ever closer, almost as if they were curious as to what their master was doing. Atem had little control over them when they got like that, too enraptured in Yugi’s excitement to care about anything Atem wanted to do.

He couldn’t blame them, though. He felt the same.

Everything Yugi did felt like a breath of fresh air, breathing new light into their lives. He was excitable, and fascinating to watch.

“Shit,” Yugi swore. Atem raised his head, eyes turning back to the summoning attempt at hand.

Although it seemed like Yugi had the worst timing, or perhaps, the guards had better luck.

Two suddenly appeared in the low torchlight. They must have been doing the rounds in the deep cells, passing by theirs.

“Hey! What are you doing in there?” one of them yelled, clanging against the bars on the door.

“Uh, nothing!” Yugi nervously smiled.

The guards opened the door, shouldering inside to stand menacingly in front of Yugi.

“Maybe some time in the dark cells will teach you a lesson,” one of them grunted, reaching out to haul Yugi upwards.

“Woah hey, no need to push, let’s not be mean here!”

“You’re the one in prison,” a guard sneered. The shoved him forward, and Yugi yelped in response.

“All right, I’m going already! I’m going!” he snapped.

They dragged Yugi out of the cell and down the corridor, slamming the gate shut behind them. Atem worriedly rushed to the door, gripping the cold iron and trying to peer as much down the hall as he could.

And then Yugi yelled one last thing before they were cut off.

“Make sure you still feed Prince please! He didn’t do anything wrong!”

Atem froze, eyes wide, staring down at the shadows.

A guard laughed in response. “He’s in prison, of course he did something wrong. Probably killed some fucker, or twenty.”

And then the doors slammed shut, and Atem could hear them no more.

* * *

The next few days felt like agony. Atem was alone once again, and although he had experienced as much for years and years, there was something about Yugi’s sudden absence that left him feeling weak and raw inside.

The shadows noticed it as well. They were agitated, no doubt feeling the loss of their king’s presence. They crawled over the walls, snapping angrily and hissing with no goal in particular. Atem tried to calm them, but he felt the anxiety bubbling up inside himself, and he couldn’t control it, let alone the shadows.

He began to feel his worry take over, the longer Yugi was absent. What was happening to Yugi? Were they torturing him? They wouldn’t kill him…. Would they? The shadows snarled in response to his thoughts, growing aggressive.

“He’ll be fine, I’m sure,” Atem whispered. “He’ll be fine… he has to be. He’s strong, he can make it.”

A noise down the corridor made him pause. He stilled, listening out for the source of the disturbance.

He heard coughing, and feet shuffling over the ground. They were approaching his cell, but not from the usual direction the guards came from. So, not food, then.

The shadows rose to attention, chirping softly. _The king…_ Atem moved away from the door, setting down on his cot and waiting.

Figures appeared in the doorway, barely illuminated with the low light flickering from the small torches. He recognised the purple shine of Yugi’s hair, and the reflective light of the armour of the guards beyond. They tossed him into the cell, leaving as fast as they had appeared.

Yugi stumbled inside, coughing and clutching at his head. “Fuck…”

“King, you’re back,” Atem sighed, pressing a hand to his chest. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Yugi offered him a small smile. “A little woozy, but I’m not hurt.” He sat down on the cot, and immediately winced.

Atem wanted to race to his side, but he felt rooted to the spot, hands digging into his own cot in an attempt to keep both himself and the shadows from leaping into action.

They swirled around the wall behind Yugi, so close to touching without actually brushing him. Yugi couldn’t see them with his eyes closed, his focus on himself, but Atem was still worried he would notice if the shadows continued to nudge so close.

“Perhaps you should rest,” Atem suggested. He shot the shadows a dirty look, pressing a hand to the wall behind him.

They retreated, slowly pulling away from Yugi and slinking back to Atem’s form.

Yugi mumbled something unintelligible, settling down onto his cot.

Atem soon made out the light sound of his snoring, and he stood up, making his way to the door. He stood in front of it, letting his shadows ooze out through the floor.

They stood on guard for all the time Yugi took to recover, making sure he was undisturbed.

* * *

Yugi recovered a week later. He spent most of his time on his cot, complaining of headaches, and dizziness kept him from moving around too much.

Atem was able to get enough information from him to learn of his punishment. Wheel torture, increased blood flow to the head to worrying degrees. Atem was furious.

But Yugi just laughed and shrugged it off. “Whatever, I’ll just have to be more careful in the future, right?” He was slowly walking around their cell, gaining his confidence in moving again.

Atem barely grunted in response, too sullen to ruin Yugi’s mood with his own.

“Thanks for looking out for me, by the way.”

He rose his head at Yugi’s words, brows furrowing. He cocked his head to the side.

Yugi shrugged again, a lazy smile over his face. “You didn’t have to, but you did, and I appreciate it. Thank you.”

Atem felt his face lighten just a little, and he was unable to stop a small tug of his lips upwards. “Anything for my King.”

Yugi gave a very inexperienced bow, his greasy hair swaying with his movement. “Only with the support of my Prince can I continue to make such bad life choices.”

Atem actually laughed at that. The sound felt weird, more than a chuckle, and not as dark as a bark. It felt genuine, and even the shadows pulled back in surprise, chirping worriedly at him.

 _I’m fine,_ he smiled to them, and Yugi. “What does the King plan to do now, then?” he asked.

“Hmm,” Yugi tapped his chin. “Might… wait a while, but… eventually…”

“Despite this, you’re still going to try?”

“Yup,” Yugi grinned. “I’ve still got the ashes. It’ll take a while to get them back to something I can make marks on, but it’s worth a shot.”

“But… why?”

“Why not?” Yugi shrugged. “I think it’s worth it.”

“You are… like no one I’ve ever met, King,” Atem whispered.

Yugi laughed, the sound like a beautiful symphony of talented musicians to Atem. He felt his shadow body could melt, if only he could continue to hear that voice.

“You’re funny, Prince.” Yugi snorted, a hand raised to attempt to hide his grin, though mostly in vain.

Atem shrugged slowly. “It’s just how I am, I suppose.”

“Nothing wrong with that. I like it, anyway. You’re fun to be around.”

 _Fun to be around…_ Atem felt at a loss. How was he to… react to that? He was… fun? But he hardly did anything, and Yugi initiated most of everything they did together. How could he say that so casually?

He glanced warily at Yugi, who had already settled down to sleep; his hands cushioning his head and a peaceful look over his face as he evened out his breathing.

 _How can you trust someone so easily?_ Atem wondered. Atem had nothing to give him, there was nothing Yugi could gain from being so kind. He could just ignore Atem forever, and there wouldn’t be anything else to it.

And yet… he didn’t. He actively went out of his way to involve Atem, to give him food he needed much more than Atem did. And attention… attention no one had given Atem in eight years.

His gaze softened, and he felt the shadows coo softly around him. For an instant in time, everything felt right.

In that moment Atem knew he didn’t need Gandora’s orders to stay by Yugi’s side.

He would gladly give his life for this man.

* * *

Atem watched the leaves of paper shred up, igniting into a crisp. King sighed, muttering to himself. He looked to be in pain, but was struggling to keep it off his face. Atem could tell otherwise, though, from the way the shadows became agitated around him, hissing softly in the corners of the room.

King, as always, didn’t notice them, staring down at the pile of ash on the ground, his shoulders sagging. Atem felt the words leaving his mouth before he could stop himself, eager to engage King just to hear him speak once again.

“This is the tenth summoning this month, you know.”


End file.
